Author's Note: I'm not dead, I promise.
Chapter 13: A Misunderstanding
The smoke had begun to subside and so did the shuffling craze. As the crowds of guests left the establishment in a panic, only officials remained, their yells traveling through the smoke-sifted corridors.
"He's in here somewhere."
"Close all the exits."
"What if he escaped disguised in the crowd?"
In a particular hallway upstairs, however, a certain blonde rounded the corner to come to face what his suspicions had only unfolded. Of course that criminal would check up on the rooms for whatever he could salvage rather than playing it safe with an early escape. "I'd recognize that blasted haircut anywhere. We meet again, Ackerman." Artem sneered, pointing his armed weapon in the dark at Levi who stood hovering over a dressing table drawer.
"Looks like the dog is back to barking," came the bandit's cautious reply, his hand wrapped in a fist around a tiny object. His midnight eyes flicked from Artem's pressure on the trigger of his weapon to the diplomat's face.
A flash of annoyance crossed Artem's visage and he bared his teeth now, not caring that he was letting the bandit get to his head. No, now he needed to teach him a lesson for talking to him that way. "You REALLY think you'll get away with invading Master Dristien's own private estates, you dirty street trash?! Have you already forgotten what Master Dristien has done for you?" Artem licked his lips, "Once he finds out this is your doing, he's going to make sure you pay. And take back his property, that girl." He spat, finger heavy on the trigger of his weapon.
"What an atrocious thing I've done," Levi replied forlornly, his expression playing the part. He clicked his tongue regrettably for dramatic effect as if he truly was swimming in self-reflection at his own actions but the careless mirth in his eyes gave away his true sentiments.
/
An hour later, in a place not too far from the Russian establishment...
"So this bar belongs to that woman named Mahre? You mean the one from that clothing shop we went to?" Petra indulged in a sip of the pineapple shot, bright eyes falling over every artwork and decorative mantel piece she could find adorning the bar. The woman who owned this place certainly did have deep pockets. And unique tastes.
"Yep!" Shane casually watched Petra absorb the room around her as he stole a drink of his sweet lemonade.
"HERE you are!" A familiar voice came from behind them. Petra turned just in the knick of time to see Hange come swooping in for a tackling hug. How sudden yet appropriate for the occasion.
Petra couldn't help but let out a laugh of excitement as they both exchanged mirroring pecks on either cheeks. When they parted, Shane stood beside Hange looking as red as a tomato, realizing that what he had been avoiding for an hour was inevitably facing him in the shape of Hange.
The older woman smacked him in the back, hurling him towards Petra.
"Don't tell me you youngins didn't embrace yet?! It's just a celebratory holiday, Shane! HAHA No one is going to remember you kissed them. Embrace the tradition. So to speak."
Shane scratched his head, sheepishly smiling at Petra who just laughed and clasped her hands behind her before getting on her tiptoes and giving him a peck on either cheek.
"Any news of Levi?" She immediately asked Hange, incredibly dizzy from the overwhelming vibe of the room.
Hange, on the other hand, proved distracted at the sight of sugar cookies displayed at the bar and had long gone trampling over, missing the ginger-head's question.
"If Hange's back that means he is." Shane replied instead, looking away red-faced. "But he's prolly tryna stay outta havin to go an inch of anyone. Something bout germs, I bet."
"I see…"She answered disappointedly. Despite herself, an odd churning in her stomach proved she had actually begun to get nervous. What would she say to him if she saw him? She had so many questions she knew only he could answer. And, anyway, I just want to say thank you, that's what it is.
And like an answer to her silent wish, just as Petra looked back up from her thoughts, a figure deliberately stalking towards them caught her eye. Petra lifted her shaky finger to point at the crowd. "Th-then, who's that walking straight towards us?"
Shane raised a brow and turned to see where she pointed.
In a deceptively intimidating way, Levi almost trudged towards them, avoiding people around him as he removed his face mask, revealing an awe-striking glitter rune over half his face. The male looked rather put together for someone who had just come back from engaging with war weapons and a more than likely raging Russian militia.
His lazy eyes focused on Petra.
"I have to use the restroom!" Petra yelped and turned on her heels, scrambling for an escape - not entirely sure why she was being so impulsive - nearly running into two men exchanging kisses except it was on the lips and she was left to wonder whether where you kissed a person revealed your relationship to them on this auspicious day.
"Goodness," she breathed to herself, ducking and avoiding as she made her way towards the restrooms.
Shane raised his brows, confused. "Ah...Petra? What was that…" The boy blinked.
"Where the hell did she have to run off to so fast?" Came a voice.
"Heya Levi." Shane smiled wide, his teeth gleaming as he turned to face his superior. "Iunknow. Wait, before that, we gotta do the Martinstag celebratory ki—"
"Don't even think about it, brat." Levi deadpanned.
Shane laughed nervously, cringing. "Arright so how'd it go?"
"Those aristocrat pricks wouldn't know a shell if it were coming straight for them." He peered at Shane, the white collar of his shirt brushing his taut neck. "I'm going to get some fresh air outside. The smell in here is going to suffocate my lungs."
/
Petra peered out from behind a wall, watching as Levi exited the bar from the side. She let out a held breath. Ah...what am I doing? She shook her head, placing a hand on her forehead underneath her bangs.
What happened to getting answers from him?
With a new resolve a second later and a determined look to boast, the girl looked back up, ready to follow through and actually face him now but instead met with a tall bulky man who had his hands on his hips, watching her with an oddly peculiar look.
"Oh, hello!" Petra started, holding a hand up as greeting.
"I saw you," the man interjected, pointing a finger out towards the crowd, eyes wide. "Watching Mister Ackerman, there, I did. Could it be you have an interest in him?"
"What?" Petra breathed out, trying to keep up. "An interest? No, not at-"
"Oh this is news! It really is! Do not worry. Lucky for you, I am well acquainted with him. Believe me when I say today is your lucky day, being this blessed night!" The man had let himself run with his own preconceived idea, seeming to jump with excitement at his discovery as Petra watched him with a baffled expression that went very quickly from blank to red when he took her by the arm and began leading her towards the exit Levi had left from.
"No, really! This is some misund-"
"Miss, I promise you, he may be dangerous but he is also dangerously beautiful. A beautiful human, I tell you. I knew him since he was young."
What?! Petra's mouth opened to interject but no sound came out when the horror of her situation dawned over her. They had already made it outside and there, almost immediately, she saw levi sitting at some descending steps in the orange light of the walkway lamps, his back to them.
She immediately felt sick to her stomach.
"Levi! I have someone for you to meet!"
The male didn't move at first but then slowly cocked his head toward them with a stoic expression, his eyes narrowing at the sight of Petra. "Eh? Meet someone?"
Petra kept her eyes locked on the ground, wanting very bad that it would open up and swallow her in this moment.
"This pretty young lad here would like to get to know you. It would do you both well, I tell you." The man almost giggled into his hand. "I think she already knows about you, however, seeing as how she was watching you from afar with hearts in her eyes, she was."
Petra took in a sharp breath at that, staring at the stone gravel. She didn't register the man pat her shoulder before he left but knew a second later that it was now only her and Levi in that walkway, the chill of the night nothing compared to the chill of the following silence.
"Oy-"
"That was a misunderstatement!" Petra began quickly, eyes widening as she corrected herself,"Standing! Misunderstanding."
Levi considered the girl, weighing his options. He decided it a better idea to use the situation to his humor. "Here."
Petra looked up, cheeks flushed against her will. The male patted the spot beside him on the ground.
"Sit down. Come get to know me."